News of Dawe's appointment comes shortly after Pret A Manger’s creative director, James Cannell, said he was leaving the business after 10 years to pursue other interests. Cannell will continue to provide Pret with creative consultancy and there are no plans to replace him.

Clive Schlee, the chief executive of Pret, said: "I am delighted Barnaby is joining the senior team at Pret. He has the sensitivity and the experience to maintain continuity in Pret’s tone of voice whilst at the same time leading the company’s digital transformation. We look forward to working with him very much."

Dawe has held multiple marketing positions including at Harper Collins, Sky, The Sun, The Times, Heart and Channel 4.

He was named Marketing Leader of the Year by the Marketing Society in 2017.

Dawe added: "As a loyal customer, I've long admired Pret for their coherent brand strategy and their outstanding customer service. I'm honoured to join the team and be a part of the next phase of their journey".